Copyright Š 2001 Pat Matson Knapp All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise. arising from the contents of this pub lication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied.
First published in the United States of America by Rockport Publishers. Inc. 33 Commercial Street Gloucester. Massachusetts 01930-5089
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Introduction
Their reasons for embarking on new identities are as diverse as the businesses
"" .Clarity in expressing the brand-wheth er it be for
themselves, but for purposes of this book are grouped into four general categories:
• Identity for Renewal (About Face)
a ma nufactured product or for a busine ss-to-bus ine ss corporation- ma y be the final [bu sine ss ] frontier. "
For many businesses, staying fresh is the name of the game, and projecting a contemporary, updated image is essential to staying competitive. For these companies, new identities are often more evolutionary than revolu-
·Peter Lawrence, Corporate Design Foundation
tionary: They want customers to recognize an old friend, but be pleasantly surprised by a fresh new visua l expression .
At the starting gate of a new century. a volatile economy fueled by the Internet and new technology has created a business landscape that changes at warp speed.
• Identity for Repositioning (New Horizons) When a company redirects its business or expands into new products or services, it needs a way to signal the change to its marketplace. For these
Mergers and acquisitions in industries such as financial services, telecommunications, and energy have produced huge new corporations that must find
ways to humanize themselves to appeal to local as well as global audiences.
companies, a new identity must subtly play on the solidity and reliability of the original brand, but illuminate the new ventu re in a bold, visually arresting way.
Companies rooted in traditional technologies are searching for inroads to the high-tech world. And at the same time. a new breed of Internet startups struggles to find footholds in the constantly shifting economic terrain.
• Identity to Signal Change (Sea Change) Some companies outgrow their orig inal missions or need to overcome
For companies trying to survive and thrive in the New Economy, carving out
erroneous impressions about who they are and what they do. Others need
strong and memorable identities is crucial. "Brand awareness" has become a
to change their name to reflect new business directions. Here, a new
corporate mantra, and many companies recognize design as among their most
identity should help the company maintain any positive brand equities
effective business tools. Executed well and applied cons istently, strong corpo-
that already exist, but allow it to reintroduce itself to the marketplace.
rate identities strengthen the bonds between businesses and their customers, and ultimately improve the bottom line. NOesign is an essential competitive element," notes Peter Lawrence, founder and chairman of the Corporate Design Foundation, established in 1985 to promote the integration of design and business. "We've covered price . Manufactured quality and technology are now essentially commodities, so
• Identity for Growth (Fueling Growth) Mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and rollouts are now household words. But how do large corporations manage the changes brought by growth. consolidation, and other market changes? Many use new brand identities
to stay connected with their local and global audiences .
they're no longer the determining factors in what to buy or which services com-
But regardless of the reason for the change, effective corporate identities
pany to use. Now, clarity in expressing the brand-whether it be for a
share some common elements, says Kris Larsen, managing director for
manufactured product or for a business-to-business corporation-may be the
Interbrand. ·'A stron g brand should do four things : it should be relevant to cus-
final frontier."
tomers; it should be credible (and by that I mean truthfully represent the brand ); it should differentiate itself from the competition; and it should have
Designing Corporate Identity follows 23 companies through recent identity
the ability to stretch as the market stretches."
launches, exploring the challenges, processes, and solutions behind them. Each of the 23 case studies-from large international corporations such as BP,
Effective brands are also a way for companies to forge an emotional bond with their
TNT. and France Telecom to dotcom startups such as Plural and BuildNet-
audiences, says Ken Carbone, Carbone Smolan Agency (New York). "If you can
show how companies use design to connect with their aud iences.
touch their emotions in some way, the brand becomes a living, memorable thing."
Introduction A trademark is a sign. The sender of a trademark uses his mark to identify himself to the world. This he may do in one of three ways: he may identify himself as an owner, as a manufacturer or simply as the sender of a message. All three types of identification can be seen on a typical London bus: the trademark above the radiator grille on the front of the bus tells us that London Transport owns it (left); Leyland will display its trademark saying that it made it; and the trademark on the advertising streamer tells us that the Tate Gallery is sending us a message (below, left),
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Opening pages Piccadilly Circus, London. Trademarks are everywhere.
Highly visible and forever on the move, the London double-decker bus carries a number of trademarks.
This omnipresence enables companies like Kodak,
Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Carlsberg to maintain their position as world brands.
9
What do you have to say about Swissair's new route to Atlanta?
Copyright compliments of the Coca-Cola Comp:,"y. Allanla. Georgia. Timcwblc subject 10 govern ment approval.
On March 29, 1987, the United Swissair Destinations of America will include a city which is not only the home of a world-famous soft drink, but a hub for the entire Sun Belt. Offering countless connections to the American South and West. So what do you have to say about Swissair flying there nonstop, pampering you all the way in its First Class, Business Class or Economy Class? Just take a look above and you'll find the answer right before your eyes.
swissair"
The main purpose of Marks of Excellence is
value are just some of the possible functions of
to look at the nature of trademarks and the
a trademark. To explain how trademarks function,
way that they produce meaning. In so doing,
this book looks at a selection of trademarks from
the book should also encourage clients to
a number of different angles. No single discipline
commission trademarks that are both distinctive
offers an exhaustive explanation.
and descriptive, and inspire designers to
The study of trademarks has its roots ,in fields
design them.
as diverse as anthropology, history, heraldry,
In spite of their omnipresence, very little has so far been written about trademarks. An exception is the subject of legal protection
psychology, marketing, semiotics, communication theory and, of course, graphic design. The first chapter of this book is concerned
of trademarks, which has been dealt with in
with the historical roots of modern trademarks.
depth elsewhere, because of the economic
It traces the earliest examples back some
implications. As legal protection differs from
5,000 years.
country to country, and as this book focuses
Evaluating a trademark implies a broad
on the function of trademarks per se, legal
knowledge of the context in which the trademark
protection is not explored here.
must be used. The second chapter deals with
The three examples of trademarks on a London bus establish that trademarks are
trademarks are discussed in the light of communication theory, of semiotics and their
As signs, they should permit fast identification.
production of meaning; a list of practical
It is easier and faster to 'read' the Jaguar radiator
requirements of trademarks is also presented.
mascot of a car than to read the written name
In the fourth chapter the central theme of the
of the make. The words 'Coca-Cola' are more
book - the classification, or rather the
immediate in the instantly recognizable script
characteristics of tradema rks - presents itself.
of their trademark than in another typeface.
The fifth chapter addresses a number of issues
identification, a trademark can also allude to the nature of a company or a product. For example,
about trademarks and classifies further examples within the taxonomy presented in chapter four. 6
The sixth and final chapter is concerned with
the leaping jaguar suggests that the car and
the development and evolution of trademarks
the cat share the relevant qualities of speed
over time. No design is timeless, and trademarks
and elegance. The name Coca-Cola was coined
must occasionally be updated. A trademark
to tell the customer that the coca leaf and the
may be supplemented by a small family of marks,
kola nut are important ingredients of the drink.
or expanded from two to three dimensions and
A trademark occasionally does more than
transformed into sculpture. Sometimes a
individualize a company or its products and say
trademark is translated for use in other languages
something about them. It can have a value in its
and other cultures.
own right, and that value adds to the value of a company,' a product or a service. Companies may
1887.
this functional context. In the third chapter,
signs and, more specifically, visual identifiers.
Apart from serving the purpose of
Trucks are irresistible rolling billboards to trademark owners. Company The Coca-Cola Company, USA Design Frank M Robinson,
This still from a TV commercial shows how under normal circumstances airlines proudly display their trademarks. Company Lufthansa. Germany. tI
, After a crash, many airlines follow the standard procedure of covering the aircraft's identification marks, even if there are no deaths or serious casualties. One example was the 'happy' SAS crash landing north of Stockholm's Arlanda airport on 26 December 1991. Company SAS, Denmark, Norway, Sweden.
The theory of trademarks presented here is based on empirical data. Practical experience,
develop the trademark through advertising and
studies of communication theory, semiotic
by their reputation. In either case, the product is
analysis and theoretical sampling provide the
worth more with the trademark than without it.
findings in this book.
Identification, description and the creation of 8
In this advertising poster Swissair has used part of the Coke trademark to endorse its own services. Even reduced to two letters, the trademark is immediately recognizable. Company Swissair, Switzerland. Design CGK Zurich, 1987.
Overleaf Piano players are never in doubt what instrument they are playing. Many can hear it, more can see it. Company Steinway & Sons,
USA
11
Motivation The historical forerunners of modern trademarks
were conditioned by the physical material in
evolved from the need and desire for social
which the craftsman worked: ceramics, stone,
identification on the part of the individual or
paper, silver or wood .
group. They were a means of establishing the distinguishing character of something. A farmer may mark his cattle to protect them
While the exact origin of trademarks cannot be proven, some early precedents can be shown. The categories of trademark precedents
against theft: a potter may mark his bowl out
are carefully chosen, in terms of both purpose,
of sheer pride. There is no mutually exclusive
ie the kind of statement, and visual form.
relationship or implied dominance between need
It is a reasonable assumption that all the social
and desire; historically, these motivations can
identity marks and all these ce rtificates of origin
be related to social life, war, commerce, traffic
are the results of both need and desire. It is
and sport as well as other leisure activities.
equally safe to assume that branding, earmarks
These early equivalents of trademarks were
and farm marks have almost exclusively been
used to state identification in three ways:
inspired by need.
Social identity: who is this or who says that
Marks
Ownership: who owns this, and
Statement
Motive
heraldry
social identity
need/desire
monograms
social identity
need/desire
branding
ownership
need/(desire)
earmarks
ownership
need/(desire)
with the two types of motive, give six possible
farm marks
ownership
need/(desire)
motive/statement combinations.
ceramic marks
origin
need/desire
stonemasons' marks
origin
need/desire
Origin: who made this The three types of statement, coupled
We do not know when someone first demonstrated identity, ownership or creative
hallmarks
origin
need/desire
and productive parenthood by means of a
printers' marks
origm
need/desire
graphic device. We can, however, assert that
watermarks
origin
need/desire
the first attempts in all three categories were
furniture marks
origin
need/desire
made with pictures and not with letters.
Table OIIe T'a dem:;uk J)'eced""ts
Perhaps the first 'graphic' identification mark was an owner's mark. It may have been a simple sign to show that a weapon belonged to a particular man. Certificates of origin have probably existed for as long as mankind has had specialized occupations and traded goods. The urge to take credit, to show pride and to claim responsibility must be universal and at least partly rooted in psychological need. Early craftsmen in many trades demonstrated pride and responsibility by marking their products. This tradition was continued in the first craftbased industries. The shapes of makers' marks
16
Heraldry Today, the word 'heraldry' has two meanings; it refers to both armorial signs themselves as well as to their study and design. The term originates
for the design of coats of arms. Heraldic ru les cover, among other things, the des ign and designation of lines of partition and
from ars herafdica, the art of the herald. The
the basic shapes on the shield, known as the
herald was an official at medieval tournaments
ordinaries. They also extend to the colours used,
of arms wh o was responsible for the
referred to as tinctures and metals, al1d the
identificati on of fighting knights. He would
cadency marks, denoting a man's descent and
scrutinize the insignia of prospective combatants
his position in the male line.
and an noun ce their identity to the spectators.
Lines of partition divide fields - shields and
As the knigh ts were often covered by armour,
parts of shields - in a number of ways: per fess,
heraldic marks on shie ld, dress, helmet and
per pale, per bend, per bend sinister, quarterly
horse helped to identify combatants.
(per cross), per saltire and per chevron.
Heral dry has its orig ins in the mid-twelfth
Partitions may be repeated. Repeated quarterly
century. It has been suggested that heraldic
partitions result in a checked field , and repeated
marks we re f irst used by crusaders who
per saltire partitions result in a lozenged field.
answere d the Papal call of 1095 for
"
inved ed
Lines of partition can be decorated in the
participation in the Crusades ( 1096-1270) 10
following ways: invected, wavy, nebule, indented,
fight Musli ms in Palestine.' Heraldic marks on
dancette, embattled, raguly, dovetailed, potent,
clolhin g, shields and flags helped crusaders to
embatlled grady, arched, double arched, urde,
recognize each other. Some historians have
rayonne, fir tree and fir twig.
wavy
ne bu le
indented
expou nded that the cont act with Eastern culture during the Crusades resulted in an Oriental
dancetle
influence on heraldry.:2 Today, a heraldic mark in the shape of a shield
embattled
is generally called a coat of arms (or just arms) ragu ly
after th e surcoat with armorial bearings worn by a kni ght. Sometimes the term crest is used in
dovetai led
its place and attributed with the same meaning. In medieval times, the crest was the identifying
potent
mark on a knight's helmet. Expanding an early role as messenger,
embattled grady
the heralds gradually served a more important arched
ce remonial and diplomatic function. They organ ized coronations, peace celebrations
doub le arched
and other events where tournaments were often an important part of the entertainment.
urde
Heralds recorded existing coats of arms in rolls of arms. They also dealt with problems concern ing similarity of coats of arms and created new armorial bearings. Early in the development of heraldry, heralds established a specific vocabulary as well as certain rules
rayonne
•
elssen
fir tree
fir twig >0
The Meissen trademark was originally the arms of the Duke of Saxony. Sax means sword in Old Saxon. Company Slaatliche Porz ellan-Manufaktur Meissen, Germany. Design 1723. Redesign 1972.
lines of partition. From top, left to right per fess, pe r pale, per bend, per bend sinister, quarterly (per cross), per saltire, per chevron, repeated quarterly partitions, repeated per saltire partitions.
"
Decorated lines of partition.
"
Overleaf A fifteenth -century Fre nch manuscript, Tournois du Roy Rene, showing fighting knights presenting their coats of arms t o the duc de Bourbon.
17
Heraldry The most important ordinaries are : fess,
Charges - heraldic signs depicted on heraldic
In heraldic terms, the colour wh ite is equal to
pale, bend, bend sinister, cross, salt ire,
silver, and the co lour yellow is equal to gold.
arms (which are themselves charges) - may
chevron, chief, pall, pile, quarter, canton,
Sometimes the term 'tincture' designates both
include all kinds of figurative or non-figurative
gyron, in escutcheon and bordure. Most
(real) tinctures and metals. The rules of 'good'
marks. Figurative charges may depict natural
of the ordinaries can be multipl ie d.
heraldry state that tincture must alternate with
phenomena, such as plants and animals,
metal on a shield. For instance, red should meet
artefacts or imaginary phenom ena, such as
white or yellow - not blue, black, green or purple.
mythical animals.
The herald ic colours - tinctures and metals - are often designated by their
is shown by cadency marks in the arms of the Tinctures
Metals
Canting arms have a special relevance in the
When coats of arms are inherited, the cadency
original (old) French terms: ced
gules
blue
azure
ten eldest sons :
subject of trademarks. They are a coat of arms that make a visual pun on the owner's surname, either through literal meaning or from the sound
black
sable
Eldest son
label
green
,ert
Second son
crescent
before the arms. However, the causal relationship
purple
purpure
Third son
mullet
has sometimes been the other way around: the
si lver
argent
Fourth son
martlet
bearer took his family name after his arms. When
gold
or
Fifth son
annulet
the Danish king, Frederik I, in 1526 decided
Sixth son
fleur-de-lis
that the nobility shou ld adopt surnames, some
Seventh son
rose
noblemen simply chose a description of their
Eighth son
cross moline
coat of arms. Rosenkrantz, Danish for 'wreath of
Ninth son
anchor
roses', is an example of such a descriptive name. Heraldry offers a body of thought and
double quatrefoil
Tenth son T.bIe Iht.. Cadency
of the name. They imply that the name existed
m~rks
terminology that is relevant to the creators of modern trademarks. Among the useful ideas is the concept of simplicity. Although simplicity initially characterized medieval heraldry in warfare, when it became part of civilian life it became more elaborate and esoteric. In modern heraldry, simplicity is preferred both in composition and in technical execution. The contemporary flat style is more heraldic and graphically more powerful than the elaborate style of many R~~na i ssance arms. Good heraldry is simple heraldry; it omits the non-essential.
"
"
Ordinaries - basic shapes on a shield. From top, left to right fess pale bend bend sinister cross saltire
20
chevron chief pall pile quarter canton gyron inescutcheon bordure
"
It is possible to tell the position of a son in a family by his cadency mark. The marks shown here illustrate table three.
"
The Bell's lNhisky miniature bottle is a modern threedimensional example of canting arms. The shape of the bottle is a pun on the distiller's name. Company United Distillers, UK.
"
The pawnbroker's sign, with its three balls, stems from the coat of arms of the Italian medieval Medici family, which had six balls. The Medici were not only noblemen; they were also merchants and moneylenders.
Heraldry
"
,
"
Canting arms of Albrecht Durer (1471- 1528). The door is a pun on the family name.
"
Canting arms of the Danish town of Saksk0bing. The two pairs of wool scissors (in Danish the word f or 'scissors' is 'saks') are a pun on the town's name.
22
The motif is first seen on a coin from Saksk0bing of about 1320.
"
The Danish noble fam ily Rosenkrantz (wreath of roses) took their name from their arms.
20
Despite being drawn with a sing le line, thi s mark's shape in the form of a shield is enough to give it
strong heraldic associations. Company Wurttemberger Hupo, Germany. Design Karl Duschek and Georg Engels/Atelier
Stankowski and Duschek, 1988.
"The left (heraldic right or
"The griffin's head is a
dexter) part of the arms shows the arms of the city of Milan. The right (heraldic lett or sinister) part shows the arms of the Duchy of Milan, essentially those of the Visconti family. Company Alfa Romeo, Italy. Design Tovaglia, 1970.
reference to the arms of the county of Scania. AI the beginning of the twentieth century, the griffin's head was used in a trademark for the truck manufacturer
Scania. Later, after a merger, it was included in the ScaniaNabis trademark. After another merger, the griffin's head was included
in the Saab路Scania figure mark.
Company Saab-Seania, Sweden.
Oesign Carl Fredrik Reutersward, 1984.
From individuals and famili es, coats of arms have been adopted by town s, regions and countries and today most places in the Western world can claim their own. These are sometimes, in their turn, incorporated into the trademarks of companies, showing their place of origin. The car manufacturers Alfa Romeo, Porsche and Saab-Scania have incorporated in their trademarks the arms, or part of the arms, of Milan, Stuttgart and Scania respectively. Other companies, such as BP, Wurttemberger Hupo and Amro Bank, have adopted basic heraldic elements, such as shields, helmets and crowns, or ordinaries such as chevrons and gyrons.
"
" Chevron
"
III Chevron
"Porsche cars are made in Stuttgart, the capital of Wu rttemberg. Porsche's trademark consists of the coat of arms of the city of Stuttgart, a rampant horse, superimposed on the antlers and red and black stripes of the coat of arms of Wurttemberg with the Porsche inscription at the top.
Company Porsche, Germany. Design Lapper, Franz Xaver Reimspiess, 1952.
,. Company BP, UK. Design 1930. Redesign Siegel & Gale,
1989.
"ABN Amra's trademark is a shield with a 9yron, a heraldic motif in which two lines drawn from the edge of a charge meet at its centre. Company ABN Amra, Netherlands. Design Landor, 1992.
,6-' Standard Oil of California took its current name after its coat of arms trademark and called itself 'Chevron'. Company Chevron, USA. Design Raymond Poelvoordel Lippincott and Margulies, late 1960s.
23
Monograms The original Greek meaning of the term
both authority and ownership. In the first meaning
'monogram' is 'single line', understood as
it may be seen as a mass-produced, abbreviated,
something written or drawn in outline. Today
easy-to-read Signature. Royal monograms are
the word is normally used to indicate a design
used as signs of legitimacy on coins, on products
made up of the initials of a person's name. As early as the first century AD, the Greek
30
with royal warrants and on public buildings with a role derived from the authority of the Crown.
philosopher Plutarch (c45-c125) refers to monograms. The emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, Justin I (c518-c527), who could neither read nor write, signed his name with a monogram; they were often used instead of a real signature to co mpensate for illiteracy.:! The Frankish kings Thierry III (673-690) and Pepin Ie Bref (751-768) signed their names with a cross. In the Middle Ages, ordinary people in France would also sign with a cross; a single document might have a long row of crosses, each representing one signature. It was customary for some notaries to prepare for the subscription of a document by drawing a horizontal line, across which the signatories could draw their personal vertical lines. 4 From Charlemagne, King of the Franks (768-814) to Philippe IV (1285-1314), French monarchs signed with monograms. Charlemagne and most other monarchs signed with a monogram constructed as a cross with a lozenge in the intersection. As early as the fourth century, the Roman orator and consul, Symmacus, suggested that monograms should be recognized rather than read. There is a parallel between early monograms and contemporary letter trademarks that are recognized rather than read in parts of the world whe re literacy is not widespread. More people can recognize the Coca-Cola name mark than spell the name. Very few can explain what the name literally stands for. In kingdoms, the sovereign's monogram may include an 'R' for Rex (king or head of state) or Regina (queen), for example, ER II, Elizabeth Regina the Second. A royal monogram signals
"Monogram of Pepin Le Bref (751-68).
Charles III (893-922) Louis d'Outremer (936-54) Lothaire (954-86)
"Monograms of French
Philippe I (1060- t 108)
kings (dales refer to reigns). From top. left to right
Philippe IV (1285-1314)
Charlemagne (768- 814) Carloman (882-4)
24
30
Monogram of Thierry III
(673-90).
"Monogram of Elizabeth Regina the Second (1952-) on an English cast-iron leiter box. Company Royal Mail, UK.
Branding Branding - marki ng livestock with burning irons
"
- has been practised for at least 5,000 years. Cattl e, goats, horses, sheep and swine have
lnnnn D c5i III
traditionally been marked in this way. In Egypt, tombstones dating from 3000 BC depict domestic animals with brands. At the tom b of Khemuheted (tomb no 3) at Beni Hassan dating from 1900 BC (the twelfth dynasty of the Middle Kingdom), a painting shows a man leading an ox by a rope . The ox is marked with a brand with hieroglyphics, measu ri ng about one square foot. At the battle of Crecy-en-Ponthieu in France, in 1346 during the Hundred Years' War, the En gl ish horses were reported to carry the broad arrow, or the imperial brand, later known as the ki ng's mark. s Nowhere, however, has the branding of domestic an imals reached the level that it has attained in the United States. Inspired by economic interests, branding has been thoroughly organized. Brands are reg istered in state brand books. Rules have been developed to specify how and where livestock were branded and how the brands are described ve rbally. The ru les of branding are, in some respects, parali el to those of heraldry. A good example is the system for showing cadency. Am erican livestock brands may consist of letters, numbers and figures, or any combination of these elements. The size of a brand does not normally exceed a surface area of twenty-five
)
{
~.
~/
square inches. Sometimes the impact of a cattle brand was so great that a ranch would be named afte r the brand burned onto their cattle. Often
f
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cattl e owners were referred to in a form of nickname based upon the name of their brand. s
Q~~ 648)
Frederik VII (1848- 63)
))
Christian IX (1863-1906)
3)
Frederik VIII (1906- 12)
730)
Christian X (19 12- 1947)
6)
Frederik IX (1 9 47 - 72)
6)
Margrethe II (1972- )
1808) 9)
路48)
Th e monogram of Queen
33
35
Margrethe II of Denmark is content ious. It has been argued that the combination
Tomb of Khemuheted (tom b no 3) at Beni Hassan, Egypt, 1900 Be. The text of the brand on the ox says: 'Royal Agriculture Administration, 43'.'
The Broad Arrow was the imperial brand used on English horses in 13 46 during the H undred Years' War.
of the A rabic numeral '2'
and the Latin abbreviation 'R' is incorrect It is certainly
second son, Lu is, third son, Jose and fourth son, Mario.
"German horse brands.
a breach of tradit ion . Until
36
"An American cattle brand is
the present Queen's reign, Danish monarchs used
Examples of Mexican cattle brands showing cadency: Don Miguel, first son, Carlos,
read from left to right, from top to bottom and from the periph ery to the centre.
Arabic numerals without the R, or Roman numerals with
"Detail of fi g 33.
This brand reads 'two lazy two P', or, as cowboys might say, 'Too lazy to pee'. 39
Overleaf Common American picture brands. Motifs are chosen for a number of reasons. They can be humorous, sentimental, illustrati ve or ris que, as above (fig 38).
or witho ut the R.
27
,,-.
wide variety of situations.
For a newly privat ized British
Company National Grid, UK.
company, the National Grid, w hich performs the technical and operational functions of electricity transmission, Pentagram designed a trademark that describes the company in two ways. The symbol is both a stylized pylon and a grid. Appearing in both green and blue, the mark has been applied in a
Design John McConnell and Justus Oehler/Pentagram, 1989.
51
International Corporate Identity 1
Editor: Wally Olin s General Ed itor: C o nway Lloyd Mo rgan
'.
Laurence King
007
Corporate identity and design
Wa ll y O lins
The term 'corporate identity' seems to have emerged in the 1950s. Some say it was first used by Walter Margulies, head of the distinguished New York consultancy Lippincott & Margulies. He was anxious to differentiate his company's work in creating complex and coherent design programmes based on detailed investigation and analysis for some of America's largest companies, from what he regarded as the more superfic ial one-off graphic design work produced by some of his contemporaries and competitors at that time . 'Corporate identity' may have been a term intended, as we would now say, to add value and differentiate the more complex consulting-based project from its design-based peers, but if t hat was the intention it didn't work. Within a very short time the term corporate identity, no longer in quotation , marks, became standard and everyone was using it, regardless of whether their work involved the reorganization and re-presentation of a major multinational company attempting to manage change and create a new idea of itself for all of its aud iences, or whether it was a letterhead for a tiny software house. The very confusion Margulies was trying to avoid has in fact been perpetuated by the phrase he devised.
008
International Corporate Identity demonstrates the nature of this dilemma, one of several facing the corporate identity discipline. Large, full colour illustrations dominate its pages. The text seems to playa secondary role. Most of the work that is shown in the book will inevitably be judged by the reader almost exclusively on the basis of what it looks like. Moreover, International Corporate Identity not only looks like a design book but it will be sold as a design book. It will be placed on the shelves of bookshops throughout the world somewhere between 'Architecture' and 'Art'. Few, if any, copies will appear on shelves marked 'Management' or 'Business Studies'. This book, then, may be perceived by some as perpetuating the assumption that corporate identity is a term for the design of a company's notepaper, vehicles and other assorted visual paraphernalia - other books on corporate identity and design management have been misperceived in the same way, after all. The size and complexity of the corporate identity programmes illustrated, the nature of the brief, the positioning of the organization in the marketplace, will have much less significance than the one simple issue 'what does it look like!', in the reader's mind. However, while some corporate identity designers do still see the visual solution as the beginning and end of their brief, many of its practitioners claim that corporate identity is part of a much larger and more complex picture.
The confusion over the meaning of the term itself is reflected in the way the profession works. On the one hand it is clear that one species of corporate identity consultants is moving onwards and upwards into a kind of management consultancy activity. They take the view that by introducing and sustaining a major corporate identity programme an organization can help to clarify and make visible its structure and strategy, and articulate its vision. The organization will do this so as to differentiate itself from the competition, gain market share and underline and emphasize the new direction that it is taking. In my experience, major corporate identity programmes, by which I mean those produced for large organizations, are increasingly falling into this category. In this kind of situation corporate identity embraces a complex network of management disciplines such as organizational behaviour, marketing, communication and research and almost always design in its various relevant forms. Design in this context does not always enjoy the primary or central position, but it is usually the primary means by which the new positioning is presented; it is therefore one of the most significant tools of the corporate identity specialist.
'.
009
On the other hand, there is another school of corporate identity which remains influential ; this is based around the overwhelming primacy of design, especially graphic design, as virtually the sale vehicle of corporate identity. There are many graphic design companies who follow this path; some of them produce work of an extremely high standard. They usually work for organizations who see corporate identity in terms of a symbol or logotype, stationery, vehicle liveries, signs and all the rest. For these design consultants and their clients, design is everything that the job is about. From time to time , when they are faced with a difficult technical problem , say in financial services or transport, such design companies may call in a freelance expert to help them; they may work with writers and (perhaps less willingly) with researchers, but the base from which they do all their work and their thinking remains graphic design. And they regard their success or failure by the brilliance of the design work that they produce. Both of these schools, and I am deliberately polarizing them for the sake of clarity, are represented in th is book. But because of its format International Corporate Identity must seem to have a built-in bias in favour of corporate identity programmes in which the visual aspect is the most striking component. This has posed an inescapable problem for me as the editor. With the best will in the world it is difficult to judge entries from the two different schools on the same terms.
. In the first case the design work is the end result of what is often a complex, even tortuous process, which may lead to a major repositioning. But more often the change in the design itself may be relatively modest. It may be thought, for example, that it is essential to retain as much of the older identity as possible to preserve existing marketplace equity. Because of this, the design is often evolutionary, certainly it is rarely radical. Relatively minor modulations of an existing symbol or logotype are applied with obsessive thoroughness to every aspect of corporate operations, modified here or there in terms of colour or shape or style to make a marketing, communication or behavioural point. In pure graphic design terms this kind of work is unlikely to be breathtaking although it may be highly competent. In order to judge the effectiveness of such corporate identity programmes as a whole it is essential to look at the design work within the context of the entire programme. This involves looking at what the company is trying to say about itself, where it wants to be in the marketplace, and similar questions. Siegel & Gale's work for National Semi Conductor (illustrated here) must, I think, fairly be placed within this qtegory. In the second case, what you see is what you get. The design work that is presented is the beginning, middle and end of it. If the design work is brilliant and original, like Pentagram's work for Spaghetti Recordings, for example, then it is quite fair to pronounce the corporate identity (if that is what it is) a success. In selecting the entries I have tried to sustain a balance between the consultancy-based approach and the design-based approach. The divergence between the two types of work is now so great that it is at least debatable whether both types should be included in the same book. On balance I believe it is correct to do so, because both schools are representative of the current state and best practice in the art of creating corporate identities.
010
Corporate identity today
All this is, of course, indicative both of the way in which approaches to identity creation have changed and the way in which the scope of the activity has broadened. Today identities are created not only for corporations but for major brands and their retail outlets. Within the public sector, identity programmes have also flourished, not to say proliferated. Which charity, opera company, orchestra, university or hospital can today do without its identity? As new nations and regions pop up across the world, each has its flag, emblems and all the other paraphernalia associated with self-expression. Norway, Portugal and Canada, for example, all have real , recognizable identity programmes. Times have never been so buoyant, nor so confusing, for those involved in creating and sustaining corporate identities, as the selection of recent work in International Corporate Identity demonstrates. How different, and, comparatively speaking, how recent, all this development is. Thirty or so years ago when I first came into this business, there was no recognizable corporate identity activity. There were plenty of small graphic design companies operating on an ad-hoc basis, doing exhibition stands or letterheads and even logotypes and symbols either directly for clients or for their advertiSing agencies. In some businesses, notably airlines and shi pping companies, corporate livery or house style was the norm, but for the most part corporate identity in its current sophisticated or even unsophisticated form did not exist.
So how has the change come about? There is, I believe, a complex network of reasons, but they are all based around three main factors. The first is to do with the competitive environment. The best companies today, in whatever field, create very good products. But in order to win in the marketplace that alone is no longer enough. The companies behind the products have to distinguish themselves emotionally they have to be liked more than their competitors. This is what the idea of 'val ue added' means. To borrow a political metaphor, they must win the hearts and minds of the public. This is where successful corporate identity comes in. It works not just on products and services but in environments and (a nondesign issue, but one corporate identity experts often consult on) in behavioural issues too. The second factor is also to do with the wide variety of audiences with which identity programmes interface. Until a couple of decades ago most companies only regarded one audience as really important - the consumer. Today any successful company knows that it has to deal with the needs of its employees, its suppliers, the local community, the financial world - a vast network of audiences as well as the customer. Only corporate identity has the reach to encompass all these audiences with modulations of the same message. The identity of the corporation becomes both the glue which binds together its various parts and the signal to the multiplicity of constituencies with whom it deals. Rare among corporate resources, it has both an external and an internal impact.
,
011
There is a third factor affecting the growth of corporate identity and this is the growing number of mergers and acquisitions including what are increasingly being called 'virtual companies'; that is to say those organizations formed through the strategic alliance of several companies who come together to work on a major project. Airbus Industrie, formed from French, German, British and Spanish interests is a well-known example of this phenomenon, but there are many others. Their corporate identities, calling for a nice sense of balance between competing and conflicting organizations on the part of the designer, pose new challenges to the corporate id entity industry. All this serves to underline and emphasize the fact that corporate identity has now come of age as a significant factor in contemporary society. Th e corporate identity discipline is mutating constantly; it faces challenges and opportunities from all areas. It has developed into a powerful tool operating within the context of what is frequently but incorrectly called the marketing services world. Since it has to be seen to fit in somewhere, let this position suffice, at least for the time being. The changes which continually take place in the world scene, politically, industrially and culturally, are directly reflected in changes which take place in the identity business. Let me take two specific examp les to indicate what I mean . They are the new technology and the concept of nationality versus internationality.
Technology
The technologica l revolution has affected the world of corporate identity profoundly. Electronics is replacing paper or supplementing it here as elsewhere. This means firstly that cumbersome printed design manuals, huge volumes of frequently self-adulatory material painfully recording the corporate identity programme, are being replaced by more flexible, more accessible and workman like pieces of software which are much easier to use and so have much more chance of entering the corporate blood stream. Second ly, that multimedia developments are forcing corporations to capture the screen for the purpose of projecting their own identity. Much of the multimedia work that we currently see may be technologically advanced, but in graphic terms it is still primitive and crude. Although we had virtually no on-screen entries for International Corporate Identity, I believe that we shall see an explosion of work in this field shortly. It is also clear to me th at both of these developments will give greater opportunities for corporate identity programmes to penetrate corporations and their audiences at all levels.
012
Nationality and internationality Would it be possible by looking at the pieces in International Corporate Identity to guess from which country each work originates? In a few cases, perhaps. But for the most part, I don't think so. We had entries from over twenty countries. Most of the entries came from Europe, the United States and Japan, but those places are after all where the overwhelming proportion of corporate identities originate. So perhaps what we received represents reasonably the existing situation. The impression that emerges is that the global corporations, wherever they come from, are perhaps understandably anxious to look at home wherever they go, and so they eliminate, so far as they can, their original national characteristics in favour of trying to develop an international corporate style. The risk with such an approach is that the end result will be bland and anonymous. Smaller companies with a more local audience can afford to rely more on quirkiness and even on domestic visual tradition. But this sometimes deteriorates into silly pastiche.
Then there is the influence of the consultancies that create the worle In a number of countries there still remains a powerful and idiosyncratic graphic design tradition. Within Europe, the Dutch, the Germans and the British, for example, all have strong graphic design idioms, each with its individual character. Inevitably, though, as communication becomes easier and more people see the best from everywhere, and as more designers move not just from one company but from one country and one continent to another, identity work becomes more universal and less national in its appeal. And it is sad but true that books like International Corporate Identity encourage this new internationalism amongst young designers.
013
In conclusion
After having looked at over three hundred examples of new work in corporate identity for this book, against a background of having worked myself on much the same number of projects as a corporate identity professional , I think there are three lessons here. Firstly, we have to learn how to judge corporate identity programmes on criteria which include design but take into account a mass of other factors as well. Secondly, we can look forward to developments in technology influencing the corporate identity world in the future. Thirdly, we have to accept the rise of the global idea in corporate identity. And above all, we see and will see the growing importance of corporate identity for corporations and other organizations, including even countries, as a key strategic resource, uniting corporate strategy, communications, marketing and organizational behaviour, just as Walter Margulies believed it should do when he coined the term .
London, 1995
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ChaRlgr 3. What ~IS~~~::::::: Introduction: Wearing the Sign
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IBM
8
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16
Coca Cola Starring Starck OAO
Food colouring Bird's Eye Finding friends Fleur & Camarade
Be our guest Savoy Hotel Group
18
By rights International Lawyers Committee
22
Inflating the image Oxygen
28
Seeking science Techniquest
32
Move the meal (earns & Brown
38
Chapter 2 What is
ha.nlgr . What IS CQqlQLat,~e:-,c.....u...,1..-tt"'u....r...e, -_ _9;;.J8-1and brand culture?
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Philips
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Clearing the way Hong Kong Airport Core Programme
50
Treading the Measure Ballet-Tech
56
Design from disaster DusseLdorf Airport
ill
100
•
Invisible assets Direct line
102
Walking the dog Klockner & Co
110
Upping the temperature lee
120
Good moves Esprit Europe
13 2
Flying the World British Airways
140
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corpora[e-lQ4~mEl1
•
Nike
Vintage enjoyment Vi no polis
62 68
Conclusion: The four key elements
15 2
Orange
154
Reading list
157
list of designers and clients
15 8
9
•
sIgn
---- -- .. --------- -~--
::::~-
'Cars today are almost the exact equivalent of the great Gothic cathedrals: I mean the supreme creation of an era, created with passion by unknown artists. Roland Barthes' essay on The New Citroen is included in Mythologies, his seminal text on products, design and society. He analysed the form of the 1950S Citroen OS (and lots of other things, from margarin.e to striptease) in social and perceptual terms, a semantic approach that he was among the first to devise, and which provided a spur to the development of issues such as brand management and product semantics. And the Citroen double vee logo is a key part of this analysis- the Citroen emblem, with its arrows, has in fact become a winged emblem, as if one was proceeding from the category of propulsion to that of spontaneous motion, from that of the engine to that of the organism.' Barthes was right to focus on the Citroen logo (originally devised to reflect the angled intermeshing gears that were invented by Andre Citroen). Logos form a key part of the branding of a product or service, and of the corporate identity of a company or institution. Historically, logos predate branding and identity: the samurai with the banner of his daimyo fluttering behind his armour, the feathered headdress and bodY'painting of the Native American, and the Scot wearing a clan tartan, are all using external elements to signify their adherence to a set of values or concepts that are expressed visually. As do the football supporters with their faces painted in the team colours, the pensioners who put their modest purchases from a corner shop into a Harrods carrier bag or the
~-
11
And so the design of logos, which a generation ago was simply about finding a neat visual solution to a name, is teenagers who will only go to a disco in Versace jeans (even fake ones) . The
today a much more complex process, which feeds back
desire to identify oneself through emblems is an age-old human trait. At certain
into the internal culture of a corporation and outwards
times in history it was a necessity, to establish rights or even to act as a form
into the market's perception of its activities and offers.
of public warning. as in the physical branding of criminals or the Nazis
So the design
deliberate humiliation of Jews through the wearing of the Star of David .
process
become
inseparable from the concepts of branding and corpo rate identity -
In most modern societies displaying the wrong signs - or wearing the wrong
for logos has
wh ich in t urn
ca n be
subsumed into a wider concept of corporate
colours - is a social gaffe not a life-threatening situation. But that does not
culture . At the heart of the idea of corporate
mean that we are unaware of such signs, or even less that the manufacturing
culture is the idea of focus. that all the
and service enterprises and compan ies that underpin, in a sense, modern
manifestations of a corporation , from the
societies are ignorant of the latent power of such signs. In fact, our
way its letters are worded or its an nual
understanding of such signs grows increaSingly profound. To take the example
reports illustrated. from the tactics of
of television advertising, twenty years ago it was dedicated to the selling of
its softball team to the launch of a
specific products and services: buy this soap, it said, or use this airline. Today
new product range , all elements are
the message is couched in different terms, whatever the specifics on offer. The
co herent with a speci fi c view of
consumer is not just asked to purchase but also to believe. Trust this soap with
what the corporat ion is and
your body. This airline cares about your dreams.
represents. So a failure of communicat ion at any level
This is not merely a change from hard to soft sell: it is part of a process of sophistication in which both the manufacturers' intentions and the customers' expectations have become more subtle, and in which, for the advertiser, convincing not only immediate purchasers but long-term potential purchasers has become cardinally important in maintaining market presence. As part of the same process the logo, a visual summary of the company's identity, has become the vehicle for expressing the philosophy and position of the company, become not just a means of identification - like a flag or banner - but a means of communication.
threatens the totality.
13
The practical consequence of the foregoing for a designer invited to advise on a new logo or branding or identity design is that whatever paper is received as a brief is likely to be inadequate in terms of the real problems to be considered. This is a drawback which can be turned into an The political validity or desirability of such a view of corporate culture is not
opportunity, provided that it is understood that an intellectual appreciation
here at issue: suffice it so say that the concept of the corporation as a
has to precede a visual solution. Each case is different, as the studies of
dedicated single organism ' is the objective of much modern management
real design projects that follow show. But there are common features, or
teaching and practice. Whatever methods are used to create the final result,
stages, through which each design progresses.
there is now littie doubt that the logo or brand or marque or corporate identity plays a major role in creating and defining the corporate culture. For the logo
The first of these is understanding the brief, or more specifically the context
designer, the consequences of this change are clear enough. The previously
of the brief. The designer's first task is to understand the values and
va lid. visually derived solution is evidently inadequate, and what is needed are
aspirations of the client: this is the research
solutions sourced in an understanding of corporate values and aspirations.
establishment of a dialogue with the client so that the visual ideas can be
Once these are understood , a visual metaphor can be derived from them. As
translated into concepts the client understands. This leads to the design
the case studies in this book show, this is a challenge that makes the designer's
solution, which has to be communicated to the client and through the client
task more interesting, if also more difficult, and which endows the visual
corporation . Since new identities are often the vehicle for changes in
solution with a validity that goes beyond simple aesthetics.
phase. Next is the
corporate culture and self-perception, this stage is orten as important as the new visual material. Finally the design has to be implemented: a manual
So this is a change and a challenge which any and every designer should relish.
produced on paper or CD-Rom, monitoring procedures set up, the purpose
It is clear that communication between people and peoples is essential for the
behind the design explained. And, with time, the design needs to be
continuation
of peaceful society, and
so that designers,
as agents of
developed to respond to changing circumstances and requirements.
communication, have a special social responsibility to express and maintain
civic va lues. (If this seems exaggerated, look at the way design, along with
In this book we have presented the designs under headings that relate to
other kinds of visual imagery. has been used to promote social ideas and
this process: the background, the research phase, the solution, and added
political concepts over the last fifty years).
an assessment of each design . The designs haVE! been grouped under logos, identities, brands and culture. But all show how designers today are using their skills in different forms of communication, and witness the complexity, challenge and enjoyment of working in the corporate field.
A logo is a distinguishing mark for a company, a product, a service or a range of products or
A logo is unique to the company it represents,
services from the same source.
and can be protected Legally as a trademark,
15
trade name or registered mark.
A logo can be typographical, figu rative, abstract or can be a combination of these.
A logo is one of the base elements in a
corporate identity or brand identity.
•
A Logo can be two or three dimensional, monochrome or coLoured (though there is normally a two dimensional version for a 3D logo and a black and white version for a coloured one).
• A logo is the basic design equity owned by a company, alongside the company name. Say 'International Business Machines' and most peopLe won't know what
you mean. Say IBM and they will understand you in most languages! The IBM logo, designed by Paul Rand in the 19505, has become a benchmark for quality in typewriters (IBM was a pioneer in developing electric and then electronic
typewriters in the USA), in computer systems (the IBM company nickname 'Big BLue' comes, it is said, from the coLour of the casings of the room sized computer systems it was installing for major corporations in the 1950S and
19605, though another theory is that IBM executives always wore blue suits) and in personal computers. (The Open Systems Architecture and QDOS programming adopted by IBM became the standard on which the personal computer revolution of the last decade was built). The IBM logo has not been changed or modified since its introduction. It therefore stands alongside (and
stands for) the qualities of reliability and efficiency which are the company's reputation . 'No¡one ever got fired for buying IBM' is an old joke, but one which encapsulates the solidity of IBM's market position. It is a professional, business to business offer, based on mutual respect between partners. There is an interesting comparison here with the Apple Mac proposition, which is based on creativity and personal expression , rather than efficiency. Apple users have a fierce
dedication
to the
product,
seeing themselves as the computer
revoLutionaries, while in fact it was IBM's decision to base its PC on an open
system that fuelled the computer revolution. While the IBM logo is part of a wider and very sophisticated corporate identity, which extends into corporate policy on architecture and sponsorship. the logo is the cornerstone of the company's image. It represents an asset of incaLcuLabLe vaLue, because it has been consistently maintained and protected over the years.
:!'ill'te",ent of a of visual
47
Identity consists of the logo and name logos) owned by a company for example in printed material catalogues and reports, in ~'Imetillg and promotion, and on ~m'!lIals,
A corporate identity often specifies which colours and typefaces are to be used with logos and namest and the desired reLationship between them. Such colours and typefaces can also be among the design equities owned by the company.
Is one of the base elements of a corporate culture. Robert
was head of the design section at Philips, the Dutch electronics out to me that there was onLy one Siemens in the Munich so giving the company's Bavarian rival a head start in
name and identity. The name Philips, however, could as a word. So part of his task, as well as supervising the ranging from razors to radio and lamps to laptop computers, =l'l'J'lOralte Identity system that would link the product range with with the corporate values of innovation and quality, in . the !!d'Wlclle. Since PhlUps' operations were truly global, consistency OOUL. UU.Y to protect the company's identity as compared to other quite legitimately, the Philips name, but also to maintain In a highly competitive marketplace. Blaich and his team at that the key to consistency was simplicity. Anything too to fai~ either through misinterpretation or through lack of They also wanted to be certain, at the time, that local In the world would have the necessary resources for printing i j3rtollS or price llsts for their local offices. So they adopted the most widely available typeface in the world, together with typeface, and 100 per cent cyan as the standard
In which the Philips name would be printed. The second consistent identity is rigor: the rules for every utilisation company name had to be considered and rules established. p:UI~lIsh" a manua~ running to some 600 A4 pages, setting out isltlonilng, sizing and presentation of the Philips name (and any names or product names) in all situations on cataLogues, on f"JIlroduc1:s. in advertising in whatever media. "infll,rrnati"n is available electronically, on CD Rom or over the as a system of templates for the use of the name. But the Only once this basis for coherence was in place work of projecting the company's image be developed
A brand is related to the marketplace (or often a specific market) rather than the general economic activity of the company.
75
the logos, colours, names, pack unique to It A bra'nd mayor may not contain elements derived
from the corporate identity of the parent company.
• most important design equities owned by a company. one of the most widely recognised objects in the world, of ils designer is unknown. (Raymond loewy, with gi,claln~ed to have designed it, but in fact all his office did shape for use in vending machines). The name Cocamost widely recognised names in the world as well. How The central reaUsation that has brought this about is, that the brand Is not merely the label of a product, i; II!_~atilon, be the foundation of a lifestyle. That is to emlbcKly aspirations and values that users of the product the product they feel part of a group of like-minded a successful product have a personality of its own, a set of values, an affirmation of choices. coca~)naUty through advertising campaigns and promotions clearly in a relaxed, happy, youthful environment, and informal. Such a lifestyle is linked to a certain major brand, Marlboro cigarettes, uses a different similar way as the bedrock of its success). And having for the product, the satisfaction the product delivers Achieving this kind of success requires
order, and above all focus. Focus in the sense of researching the qualities and values of the product its mythic image. Not only does the product itself aU the time, it must show an understanding of the environment In which it operates. This is a high risk because if you fall from the top you go all the way rer.sifl,catilon also becomes extremely difficult: you have and different personality for any alternative products, main one risks diluting its unique quality.
•
Corporate culture is the expression of a corporate philosophy in terms of the company's relations with others internally and externally. The corporate philosophy is often set out as a 'mission statement' or 'code of practice.'
Corporate culture is not only expressed through the internaL workings or commercial activity of the company: it also has an important rote in external relations, for example in the fields of generic advertising and sponsorship.
Corporate culture links the mission statements, codes of practice, marketing and development methods and corporate identity into a continuous and evolving whole. For this reason the development of a new corporate identity or the development of a revised one can often be linked to a restatement or repositioning of a corporate philosophy.
Brand culture is the same concept applied to the development and management of a bran d. Brand
culture may be directed more specifica lly at the marketplace (while corporate culture will need to take into account the company's relations with governmental agencies, international and nationaL regulatory bodies, and the whole spectrum of public opinion).
Brand culture cannot diverge too far from the corporate culture of the parent without risking its own credibility. The degree of divergence possible depends
on the perceived relation between parent and brand. Some parents are very dose to their brands - Coca·Cola, for example, Kodak or Microsoft. Others are more distant - a company such as Nestle, for example, has an own-name brand as well as a range of semi·independent brands of considerable importance. Some companies appear to operate brands at arms length : in . Europe, for example. General Motors owns a number of car marquees including Opel and Vauxhall, but keeps well in the background in terms of market presence (whatever degree of actual control they may operate over their subsidiaries.) The success of a brand or corporate culture can be seen in the degree of identification between company and consumer, the extent to which the outside
world trusts the company, or believes in the world ' its products inhabit. This relationship is a continuously changing one, which brand and identity managers need to monitor and nurture constantly. The fact that the success in question can never be exactly quantified does not mean that its existence is
not essential to a company's prosperity. Some years ago Nike, the makers of sports shoes, goods and clothes, opened Nike World in New York. Unlike the Disney and Warner shops that are now found in many capitals, Nike World was not a retailing venture. It was a physical celebration of the sports· based cultu re that Nike has created around its products. As such, the shop displayed Nike products, showed videos of sports stars sponsored by Nike, and contained Nike advertising and promotional material, as well as games and events. Nike has used sponsorship and advertising to position its products as the equivalence of excellence. In so doing they it has moved the sports shoe through fash ion
accessory into lifestyle necessity, while still retaining its integrity as a product for use in sport at the most demanding competitive levels. This twin track
approach - excellent technology combined with desirability - is what underlies Nike's success. Motor manufacturers use a similar strategy in sponsoring motor racing, but with the drawback that the distance between the products - the Formula One car and the family sports saloon - is too wide. Not 50 for Nike, who have developed their position to the extent that even thei r tickmark logo on its own conveys the excitement and assurance of the brand.
99
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The idea of aircraft as flag carriers dates in part from the early history
of com mercial aviation, when sea transport was the nearest form of international trade that co uld provide an organisational mo del, and in
part from the last days of empires, when countries needed a secure means of transport fo r diplomats and officials, and for mail services. With the need to re build commercial airline services in Europe after the Second World War, many airlines became nationali sed, and so identified wit h the country of origin and ownership. British Airways was created
by the merger in the 1970'S of the pre-war Bri tish Overseas Airways Corporation an d British European Airways. Both had established identities, BEA's built around its successful 'We Fly the Flag' advertisi ng strapline, BOAC's on its Speedbird logo, dating from 1938. But times change, and perceptions change. The airline is now a publicly quoted corporation, and was looking to redefine its pOSition in a changing commercial environment.
The standard approach to a national airl ine identi ty is to link it strongly with national elements: Alitalia uses the green red and white of the Italian flag, KLM a crown moti f as a re minder that the Netherlands is a monarchy (the KLM translates as Royal Dutch Airl ine), Air Canada a maple leaf. And the normal practice is to use the chosen motif with a maximum of consistency in order to reinforce its message. According to this view, any distraction from the corporate statement is a dilution of its efficiency.
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The detailed logic behind the decision to redesign the corporate identity stems from a major investigation launched by British Airways in '994, to study the future development of the airline, and to understand and analyse public
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perceptions of it. nationally and internationally. and among passengers and nonpassengers. The case for a new identity emerged from this process, which defined British Airways as being 'global and ca ri ng', What this superficially simp le phase meant was that British Airways was a diverse commun ity of people based in Britain, providing a service to the communities of the world. It did not mean
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putting Britain or Britons first, it was not about dominating the airways, it was not about power and success except in terms of having the ability to satisfy the needs of the customers. There is a deliberate contrast here with other airlines whose offers are either based on some skewed notion of supremacy or of exclusivity. or of authority. Nor is it a populist or somehow downmarket position. The opposite is dictatorial, after all. is not weak but democratic. The new British Airways Wo rld Images logo/branding unveiled in June 1997 was the result of two year's close collabo ration between BA's deSign management department, headed by Chris Holt, and their selected deSigners Interbrand Newell and Sorrell. The new identity, as far as the treatment of the name is concerned, comprises a softer typograph ical style, a new Speed marque ribbon logo, and a colour scheme closer to Britain's traditional red, white and blue. To this is added a series of images representing the creative work of different peoples and places. For Interbrand Newell and Sorrell took the global concept not in a simply geographical and political sense but as a network of commun ities who are served by the airline, From this concept of patterns the idea of World Images was born , As John Sorrell points out, 'World Images is not about only identifying BA as the national flag carrier. Our task was to pOSition BA as a world brand, the equivalent of Coke or Microsoft. but one wh ich is based and has its roots in Britain:
PAI NTING
TRAOITIONAL PAINTING
SOUTH WrST ENGLANO
JAPAN
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the solution The largest identity surface, the 60 foot high tailfin of a Boeing 747, is not given over to a single logo or image but to a selected image among the thirtythree 'World Images', abstract or semi-abstract patterns created by living artists whose work represents continuity between creative, real and active communities (ignoring national boundaries, be it said). When the roll-out of
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the identity is complete in the year
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each aircraft in the BA fleet will have
one of the World Images on its tailfin, and the images will also be used on
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business cards, corporate publications and documents: more images, with time, will be added to the repertory. No way either that work by a Dutch artist is going to be seen only on the Schipol/Heathrow route. Ideally the planespotters of Amsterdam are going to see a series of different World Images, from Japan or India, 5t Ives or Nairobi.
The selection process that led to the choice of Interbrand Newell an d Sorrell was a complex one: one consultancy was used to assess potential candidates worldwide, a second one made a blind approach to a first list of forty, asking for a credentials presentation, and only then did BA invite a fina l shortlist of four design teams to make an initial, paid presentation . As Chris Holt says 'we chose Interbrand Newell & Sorrell on the basis of their skills and their vision. We developed the World Images idea from an element in their presentation to
us, but which was part of the background briefing, not a formal proposal, originally inspired by the idea of world patterns made by humankind throughout our evolution.' The concept of serving a global commun ity is reinforced by a collection of
images called 'People Photography', which showed the ordinary citizens of the world in their communities. It gave a human context to the World Image series,
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and so underpinned the new identity. The 'People Photography' images are used in direct marketing, promotions and other below-the-line applications .
Extending an identity in this way shows how closely related the launch of a new identity needs to be with the marketing and overall presentation of a
company's services. It creates an added depth to the image of the company, and strengthens the perception of the company cu lture, thus enabling the transition to a 'world brand' as suggested by John Sorrell.
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CONTEMPORARY CELTIC ILLUMINATION BY IRISH ARTIST TIMOTHY O"NEILL
MODERN SCOTTISH
TARTAN WOVEN BY PETER MACDONALD
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t Because of its technical complexities, airti~e corporate identities have tended
to be the preserve of a small group of compan ies with established track reco rds. The fact that Interbrand Newell & Sorrell was a newcomer worked to its advantage. in that more experienced designers might have rejected some of its ideas before starting to develop them. Putting a design on an aircraft's ta ilfi n, fo r example. involves painti ng individual colours through masks made
by hand, comp lex enough in itself, but it has also to be integrated into the servicing schedu le of the aircraft. When BOAC introduced Indian stewardesses to its long haul routes in the 1950'S, it made haste to explain to the travelling public that Norman Hartnell (fashion designer in ordinary to HM the Queen) had been consulted over the choice of cloth ing colours. Since then, BA (as it became) has grown, and grown up. Its decision to state its international role 50 boldly sends a message to designers everywhere looking at what have trad itionally been seen as national brands. They are perh aps missing a much larger and very important point.
To my mi nd the success of th e Wo rld Images concept is not on ly that it de fi nes a global activity thro ugh co ncepts of comm unities not throu gh conce pts of nationality. nor is it that it avoids the cliches of much corporate identity work
with such elegance. The subtlety of the solution lies in pairing the series of images, with the ir endlessly different cultural resonances, with the relaxed yet
ordered Speedmarque, name and colours. And the pleasure in it stems from the va ri ety. For many people flying today is a matter of routine: any sense of excitement or adventure flying may have once had has been worn down by
sameness and repetition. World Images shifts that forgotten perception back in to focus. The sight of an exotic deSign on the ta ilfin as you are waiting in the
departure lounge to board is a gentle reminder that you can actually go wherever yo u want. And the next time you take the same business flight to the same destinati on, there will be a different image wa iting fo r you.